A conventional component feed apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1(a)-(d) and 2. 1 denotes a taped component (or component tape) which consists of component accommodating sections 1c for storing components 5 at a predetermined pitch (internal) in a longitudinal direction of a tape 1a, and a covering tape 1b covering the component accommodating sections 1c. The taped component 1 is drawn out along an upper face of a component feed guide 2 and moved to a component feed port 4 of a retainer cover 3 hanging over a front end part of the component feed guide 2. During the transfer, the taped component 1 is drawn out through a slit 6 notched from one side of the retainer cover 3 in front of the component feed port 4 and wound onto a reel 7 after the covering tape 1b is separated from the tape 1a. The tape 1a is consequently sent to the component feed port 4, with the component accommodating sections 1c exposed. However, the exposed component accommodating sections 1c are covered with the retainer cover 3, so that the components can be stably fed to the component feed port 4 without popping out.
The retainer cover 3 has a shutter 8 for preventing components 5 from popping outside unexpectedly. The shutter 8 is set in a manner to open and close an upper face of the component feed port 4 in association with an operation of feeding the components 5. Only when the components are to be removed by a suction nozzle 10 or the like, the shutter 8 is opened to allow the component to be removed by suction of the suction nozzle 10 in a proper attitude.
In the component feed apparatus constituted as above, the component 5 crackles with annoying static elasticity when the covering tape 1b is drawn out from the slit 6 formed in the retainer cover 3 and wound onto the reel 7, as illustrated in FIG. 6(a). As a result, the component 5 is extracted and levitates out from the component accommodating section 1c as the covering tape 1b is wound up. Particularly in the case of a considerably minute component (for instance, having dimensions smaller than 1.0 mm in length and 0.5 mm in breadth), the component 5 might be caught by the retainer cover 3 and might clog between the component feed guide 2 and retainer cover 3. Or the component 5 sometimes bites into the slit 6 because of vibrations and impacts, etc. during component feeding time.
As shown in FIG. 6(b), further, when the shutter 8 is opened to suck the component 5 located at the component feed port 4, in some cases, the component rises inside the component accommodating section 1c due to vibrations, shocks or the like in supplying components, whereby the component cannot be removed in a proper attitude by the suction nozzle 10. As a result, mounting errors might be occur.